Finishing machine



Sept. 15, 1925.

A; C. $MITH FINISHING MACHINE Original Filed..0ct. 1921 Fig.3. I

Patented Sept. 15, 1925,

.UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABCHIBALD 0. SMITH, OFBOGHESTEB, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MA- CHINEBY CORPORATION, ,OF PATZERSON, NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

FINISHING nsomnia.

Application filed October 3, IBZL-SerialtNo. 504,874. Benewed. October 16, 1923.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it'known that I, AROHIBALD C. S ITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroeand State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Finishing Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating li'keparts in the several figures. v

This invention relates to finishing ma chines and is herein shown as embodied in a machine for setting the edges of toplifts ,o-n shoe heels.

Hitherto, so far asI ,am aware, no, machine has been designed for setting the edges of the toplifts of shoe heels. Machines of-the type commonly employed with satisfaction foroperation upon the shank and forepart of a shoe .sole have been used for setting toplifts. For this-purpose, however, such machines are unduly expensive and other wise not wholly satisfactory. In this well known type of machine, two tools, one for f the forepart and one for the shank, are mounted ona shifting carriage to facilitate their interchange when the operator passes from shank to forepart or vice versa, and the only support for the shoe is that furnished by the operator who steadies the work :by the aid of a finger hook. WVhile using such machines for the purpose for which they were designed, the work can be supported roperly .in this way. When using the mac ine for setting toplifts, however, it

is found that in view of the varying con-- tours of different heels, it is difficult to pres ent the heels in the proper relation to the setting iron and even with expert work the output is low and theoperation fatigu- 111 in object of the invention is to provide a machine-of the character indicated which will be simpler .than those heretofore employed for this class of work, which can be operated byiless experienced workmen and which will increase the output without sacrilice of quality. As a feature of the invention, a heated setting iron is mounted for ing tool. In the illustrated construction, a

heating unit is moun-te'd adjacent to the tool with provision for moving the unit towards or from the tool to control the amount of heat which is transmitted to the tool by radiation.

The invention also includes other features,

including certain details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, which will be later described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away and with the cover plate removed, of

my machine;

Fig. 2 is. a fragmentary perspective view of the machine indicating the manner of presenting the heel to the tool;

The illustrated tool is in the form of an edge setting iron 6 to engage the edges of the toplifts. and having a lip .to extend under F -ig. 3 is a vertical section showing a por- .tlon of the mechanism for oscillating-"the lIOJOl.

mounted to oscillate in bearings 15, 16 on o the inside of the casing. Foractuatingthe shaft 15L, a depending arm 18 is secured to a notched portion of, the shaft and has a forked lower end embracing ablock engaged by an eccentric pin 20 on ,a drive shaft lying beneath and parallel to the bearing 16. This shaft may be driven in any suitable way from a motor which ,may he supported upon the cover of :the casing ,(not shown).

For heating the iron during its oscillation,

there is mounted adjacent to its path of movement, a heating unit 22having grooves Cal at the sides embraced by fingers on a U shaped holder 24 carried by the slide rod 26. The rod is mounted to slide in an extension of the casing and is constantly urged in one direction by a spring 28 interposed between the extension and the heat-ing unit holder. The rod and the heating unit can be moved in either direction by means of a forked arm 30 extending from the rod and embracing a grooved collar or spool 32 secured to an adjusting rod 84 threaded in the casing extension. The adjusting rod 34 may be conveniently rotated by a knurled head for the purpose of moving the heating unit nearer to or farther from the setting iron to regulate the amount of heat transmitted thereto by radiation.

For supporting the heel of'a shoe as it is turned to present all portions of the edge of the toplift to the setting iron, there is secured between clamping ears 38 on the easing, a stem 40 having at one end a heel tread rest 42 in the form of a flat table. A heel side rest 44 which is rounded and made smooth so that it will not mar the surface of the heel is adjustably secured by the clamping nut 46 to the slot of an arm 48 depending from the stem of the tread rest. The rest is vertically and angularly adjustable to provide for proper support of different styles and sizes of heels. The arm 48 and therefore the side rest 44 may be adjusted with reference to the tread rest by movement along the stem 40 to provide for heels of different heights and styles, said adjustment being maintained by means of a split clamping member having a clamping nut 50.

At one side of the casing is a switch 52 which controls the current transmitted through the wires 54 to the heating unit. A second switch 56 controls the motor which is mounted on the top of the casing and these two switches are so wired that it is necessary for the motor switch to be thrown on before the heating switch becomes operative, thus to insure the heating circuit be ing cut out when the machine is idle.

In the use of the machine, theoperator rests the tread surface of the heel. against the tread rest 42 and presses the edge of the top lift against the setting iron 6 which is free to yield a little in the direction of its length. lVith the side of the heel resting on the side rest 44, the heel is turned to carry the point of operation of the tool along the edge of the toplift from one breast corner to the other.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A machine for setting the edges of toplifts, having, in combination, a setting iron, means for oscillating the iron, means for heating the iron during its oscillation, and

fixed heel rests constructed and arranged to support the heel of a shoe to confine the action of the setting iron to the edge of the toplift.

2. A machine for setting the edges of toplifts, having, in combination, a setting iron, means for oscillating the iron, means for heating the iron during its oscillation, a heel tread rest to engage the tread face of the toplift of a shoe heel, and a side rest for the heel to support it for turning movement while presenting the edge of the toplift to the iron. 1 1

3. A machine for setting the edges of top lifts, having, in combination, an edge setting iron, means for oscillating the iron, a heel tread rest mounted for adjustment transversely of the path of oscillation of said iron to position the toplift of a shoe in the plane of the iron, and a side rest upon which the heel may be supported and turned to confine the action of the iron to the edge of the toplift.

4. A machine for setting the edges of toplifts, having, in combination, an edge setting iron, a heel tread rest for positioning the toplift of a shoe in the plane of the iron, a side rest carried by the tread rest for supporting a heel for turning movement, and means for adjusting the side rest vertically to provide for the proper support of'different heels.

5. A machine of the class described, having, in combination, a setting iron, means for actuating the iron, a heel tread rest having a stem, means for clamping the stem with the tread rest adjacent the iron, a slotted arm secured to the stem, a side rest, and means for securing the side rest to the slotted arm in difierent angular and vertical positions.

6. A machine of the class described, having, in combination, a setting iron, means for actuating the iron, a heel tread rest having a supporting stem, a side rest carried by the stem, and means for adjusting the side rest along the supporting stem to vary the distance of the side rest from the tread rest to suit the different styles of heels.

7. A machine of the class described, hav ing, in combination, a setting iron, means for actuating the iron, a heel tread rest having a supporting stem, an arm depending from the supporting stem, a side rest carried by the arm, means for clamping the side rest to the arm at different distances from the stem, and means for adjusting the arm along the supporting'stem to vary the distance of the side rest from the tread rest.

8. A machine of the class described, having, in combination, a finishing tool, means for actuating the tool, an electric heating unit mounted adjacent to the path of movement of the tool, a member for supporting and guiding the unit, a spring for urging the unit in one direction and means for moving the unit in the other direction against the tension of the spring.

9. A machine of the character described, having, in combination, a frame, a tool, means for rapidly oscillating the tool, a slide mounted on the frame, an electric heating unit secured to the slide near the path of movement of the tool to heat the tool by radiation, and means for moving 1 the slide and the unit toward and from the tool to control the amount of heat transmitted to said tool.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ARCHIBALD C. SMITH. 

